1
as in strife
a lack of agreement or harmony
the conflict between absolute freedom and personal responsibility
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clash
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
an armed conflict between strikers and strikebreakers
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3
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
the United Nations strives to prevent international conflicts
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4
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the eternal conflict between the forces of good and evil
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as in to clash
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably
his statement conflicts with the facts, as given in the police report
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflict
Reem Raouda, CNBC, 25 May 2025
India is emerging after a brief conflict with Pakistan, with a ceasefire thankfully appearing to hold for now.
—Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
When June watches as the plane explodes in the sky, her emotions, conflicted and raw, also speak for the audience.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflict
Noun
Instead of blaming or withdrawing, reconnect after hard moments and show your child that conflict doesn’t have to lead to shame or disconnection.
—Reem Raouda, CNBC, 25 May 2025
India is emerging after a brief conflict with Pakistan, with a ceasefire thankfully appearing to hold for now.
—Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Verb
That would have conflicted with the early stops on his tour.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
When June watches as the plane explodes in the sky, her emotions, conflicted and raw, also speak for the audience.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflict
Noun
-
Image His support for Mr. Trump has led Tesla’s sales to plummet and has caused strife within his companies, as some employees have taken the rare step of speaking out against their chief executive’s political activity.—
Theodore Schleifer,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
-
In 1961-1962, the U.S. political climate was icy, amid escalating strife with the Soviet Union, but there was a warmth emanating from the burgeoning counterculture movement.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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The clash between Villaraigosa’s environmentalist credentials and oil-industry ties surfaced in the governor’s race after Valero announced in late April that its Bay Area refinery would close next year, not long after Phillips 66 said its Wilmington refinery would close in 2025.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
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Trump tests legal strategies as judges block his policies As the clash becomes a defining moment in the president's second term, conservative activists are pushing Congress to rein in federal judges and pressing Trump to intensify his fight with the courts.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
Noun
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These meetings initially took place virtually and then in person across different capitals, seeking a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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At times, the rivalry between the players has become the biggest topic of discussion in sports and eclipsed the athletic world, raising issues of race and gender equality.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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This is a space that is ripe for standardization, the entry of new players in the market, and more vendor rivalries and drama.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Verb
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But most light just goes and goes, without colliding with anything.—
Jarred Roberts,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
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Otherwise the satellite could just end up in a different orbit around Earth and, worse, could collide with other satellites.—
Aaron Shattuck,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
Noun
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What all of these cases have in common is a truly gigantic deer, and then, sadly, lots of discord within the hunting community.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
15 May 2025
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In addition to the discord within the athletic department, Ritz acknowledged in an April 11 email to the community that he’s also dealt with two other serious issues involving staffers.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
11 May 2025
Noun
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Past skirmishes with Pakistan had allowed Modi to construct a triumphalist narrative of strength that played to his domestic audience.—
Vaibhav Vats,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2025
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Fever star Caitlin Clark and Reese got into a skirmish during the game, which sparked boos from the home crowd.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
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In 2016 the pair released some in-progress footage from the film, in which Ophuls journeys to Tel Aviv in the midst of the war to interview Israelis, including West Bank settler leaders, and other pro-Israel visitors who espouse racist views on camera.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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Trump’s criticism of Putin comes after Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war, in which more than 360 drones and missiles hit Ukraine and at least 12 people died, the Associated Press reported.—
Molly Bohannon,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflict. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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